Do you think it is necessary for the author to let you pick your skin color? (with poll)

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Hey guys! I know I’ve been doing a lot of polls but all of these polls have helped me out A LOT! So, I just came up with an idea but I feel like if I let the readers choose their skin color it will give too much away… So, do you think it is really necessary to pick your skin color?

  • I like picking my skin color!
  • It’s not necessary…

0 voters

Also, would you stop reading a story because they don’t let you pick the skin color? Please leave your opinions in the comments! It would really help me out a bunch!

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I think the more control you give people over their own characters, the more satisfying it will be. The thing is, stories with more choices and customisation are gonna have an easier job getting popular than those that are more linear since you can please more people and give them a truly interactive experience. When there are less choices and people are less in control of how the story unfolds, how encounters go down and what their character looks like, the quality needs to be higher to keep the interest of people.

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I feel like it’s not necessary although I do enjoy changing the skin color. If the author has a certain idea in mind with the look of the character, the author should keep it that way.

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I don’t think it matters too much. If the author wants the MC to be fully customizable - they can do that. If they want an MC with a specific skin color, that’s fine! It’s all up to the author and what their vision is.

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Thank you @ShanniiWrites, @Freakish, and @thesoulpunk! Your responses really helped me out and gave me a lot to think about!

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Based on this, I’d tell you to stick to your vision and not let the reader choose the skin colour. It sounds like you have something planned and that the character’s skin colour could be important to the plot in some way? If you feel like you’d be compromising your story if you let the reader choose their skin colour, then I personally wouldn’t do it.

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Only if your character is meant to be a reader insert. If your character is supposed to have a certain look and is of a particular nationality or race, then readers shouldn’t be able to choose their skin color.

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Thank you so much! That is actually really great advice! Ugh, you are so right :sweat_smile:
Thanks again!

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Thank you for your input! Ugh, everyone is giving me such good advice lolol :grin::joy:

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Agreed. If your character is a reader insert, let them choose (and if there are any family members, make sure they’re properly customised alongside the MC… don’t make players suffer the curse of playing a whole story with a dark skinned family who all have bright pink lips…)

But if your character is of a certain ethnicity then you shouldn’t feel pressured to include full CC. I’m plotting out a story with a fully Japanese MC at the moment and some skin colors just wouldn’t work for her.

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Yes, thank you so much! And I understand you lolol I hate when authors don’t change the other characters too! Also, your advice helped a lot xx

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I don’t mind, what i hate is when there is CC and I’m seeing overlays for a white person when my MC is not or like someone said, dark skinned family, pink lips.

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I’m in between, I like to pick my own color, whether it’s my complexion or another. But for some stories it just seems best to leave the characters as they already are.

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